Veterans Health Centre has partnered with BUPA and DVA to provide health assessments for Veterans who are concerned about their exposure to Anti-Malarial medications Mefloquine and Tafenoquine used in Timor-Leste in the early 2000s.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) has engaged Bupa Australia to deliver a national program of health assessments for veterans who are concerned about having taken the anti-malarial medications MEFLOQUINE (trade name Lariam®) or TAFENOQUINE (trade names Kozenis® and Kodatef®).
The program is open to any Veteran who has concerns about the potential health effects of having taken these anti-malarial medications and offers a single comprehensive health assessment conducted by a General Practitioner who has been appropriately trained.
The whole-of-person comprehensive health assessment will help identify MEFLOQUINE or TAFENOQUINE- reported symptoms. At the conclusion of the assessment, the participating Veteran will receive a customised Health Assessment Action Plan that will provide a basis for further investigation and/or treatment if and as required. Ongoing management and coordination of further investigations and treatment will be undertaken by the participating Veteran’s usual or regular General Practitioner if desired.
To access the program, interested Veterans will contact DVA’s 1800 MEFLOQUINE (1800 633 567) inquiry line, the DVA personnel attending to the call will complete the Expression of Interest form and forward it to Bupa for follow up. Alternatively, Veterans may contact Bupa directly via the 1800 612 798vline.
Following a Senate inquiry into the use of MEFLOQUINE and TAFENOQUINE in the Australian Defence Force, DVA has engaged Bupa Australia to deliver a national program of single whole-of-person comprehensive health assessments for veterans who are concerned about having taken the anti-malarial medications MEFLOQUINE (trade name Lariam®) or TAFENOQUINE (trade names Kozenis® and Kodatef®).
Information about the inquiry, and relevant clinical information can be accessed using this link to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs: https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/health-services-and-conditions/mefloquine-and-tafenoquine-information.